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It's a day-and-date for SPTI

First titles in DVD-VOD deal set

Sony Pictures Television International's first-ever day-and-date home entertainment/VOD deal will debut Aug. 6 as it rolls out on Singapore's first mass-market IPTV platform, Mio TV, a company executive said.

The first on-demand titles being released simultaneously with DVD releases in Singapore are "Spider-Man 3," "Surf's Up" and "Vacancy," the executive said Friday.

In addition to hit theatrical titles, the SPTI slate available on Mio TV includes films that were not screened in Singapore cinemas including "30 Days of Night" and the "Are We There Yet?" sequel "Are We Done Yet?"

This is the second time SPTI in Asia has signed a first-of-a-kind rights deal for digital media platforms.

In April, the company agreed to distribute its titles on a free VOD basis with Daum Communications in Korea.

The Daum deal puts SPTI library titles on Daum's Internet portal as part of an advertising-supported business model. SPTI said at the time that this was the first deal of its kind with a Hollywood studio in Korea.

"At SPTI, we do not shy away from pushing the boundaries of new media and digital distribution," said Todd Miller, SPTI executive vp and managing director for Asia.

"Particularly in Asia, we have the opportunity to try controlled experiments, such as ad-supported VOD or same day-and-date with home video VOD, due to the bigger potential upside versus a smaller downside," Miller added. "We also seek these opportunities in order to gauge how they impact our business, the market and the consumer's experience."